York Board Oks Rezoning Of Coventry Elementary

April 24, 2001|By JUDITH MALVEAUX Daily Press

YORK — Some Coventry Elementary students will attend a different school beginning next school year.

The York County School Board on Monday voted 4-0 to adjust attendance zones for Coventry, moving two neighborhoods currently in its attendance zone to Mount Vernon Elementary's zone. The rezoning was done to relieve overcrowding at Coventry.

But current fourth-graders attending Coventry will be grandfathered into the school's attendance zone. Because of that, those students won't have to change schools for fifth grade and then again for middle school.

Board Member Barrent Henry was not at the meeting.

The rezoned areas are the Woodlake Crossing neighborhood and the Belmont Apartments complex. Woodlake Crossing is north of the intersection of Hampton Highway and Big Bethel Road. Belmont Apartments is south of the intersection and it stretches to the Bethel Manor housing development.

There are 80 elementary students in those areas, 65 in Woodlake Crossing and 15 in Belmont.

Coventry and Mount Vernon exceed their capacities. Coventry's enrollment is 741 with a capacity of 702. Mount Vernon's enrollment is 534 and the capacity is 480.

Mount Vernon will have trailers added next year, although the amount and use haven't been determined.

The rezoning is also the first step in a plan to adjust enrollment areas for the four southernmost elementary schools.

More classrooms will be added to Bethel Manor Elementary School in 2002 and 2004.

That school is too small to accommodate all the children living in Langley Air Force Base's Bethel Manor housing area. When it receives the additional class space, students attending Tabb and Mount Vernon elementary schools who also live in Bethel Manor housing might be rezoned to Bethel Manor Elementary.

Judith Malveaux can be reached at 247-4793 or by e-mail at jmalveaux@dailypress.com